9/14/2012

Grasshopper Pie

My oldest child and only son, Jack, turned fourteen this week. Fourteen?! Where has the time gone? It seems like yesterday that I had him strung around my hip. Now he is bigger than me and probably can put me on his hip☺. Sunday was his turn to choose the meal and a good one it was, right down to this pie.

The mint-chocolate flavor comes through in both the crust and the filling. Crushed Cool Mint Oreos make up the crust while the mint-chocolate flavor in the filling comes from two liqueurs-- crème de menthe and chocolate. The original recipe called for green crème de menthe and white crème de cacao. But I only had white crème de menthe and brown chocolate liqueur (Godiva to be specific) in my cabinet and I wasn't about to go the store to buy two more bottles just for this pie. So how to achieve that lovely shade of minty green? Food coloring. It masked that brown color from the chocolate liqueur just fine.

The texture of the pie comes from whipped cream that is stabilized with gelatin and egg yolks. It is so light and airy, it is almost like eating a meringue filled pie. I like to garnish most pies and tarts with a little something extra to make them look purty. The garnishes du jour were chocolate curls and yes, more whipped cream. As a minty way to end a meal, this pie beats a peppermint candy any day.

For the Crust
Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat to 350° F. In the bowl of a food processor, process cookies into fine crumbs. Drizzle in the butter and pulse to combine well. Using a sheet of plastic wrap, press crumbs evenly into the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate and refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes. Place the pie plate on a baking sheet and bake until set, 8-10 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.

For the Filling
In a medium bowl, beat egg yolks; set aside. In a medium saucepan combine the gelatin, sugar, 1/2 cup cream, and salt and let sit until the gelatin softens, about 5 minutes. Place the pan over medium heat and cook until the gelatin dissolves and the mixture is very hot but not boiling, about 2 minutes. Whisking vigorously, slowly add the gelatin mixture to the egg yolks. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook, stirring frequently until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the creme de menthe and chocolate liqueur. Pour the mixture into a clean bowl and refrigerate, stirring occasionally until wobbly but not set, about 20 minutes.

In a large chilled bowl using a wire whisk or hand-held mixer, beat the remaining cream to stiff peaks. Whisk 1 cup of the whipped cream into the gelatin mixture until completely incorporated. Using a rubber spatula, fold the gelatin mixture into the remaining whipped cream until no streaks remain. Fold in food coloring (if using) to desired color. Scrape the mixture into the cooled pie shell, smoothing the top, and refrigerate until firm, at least 6 hours or preferably overnight. (The pie will keep wrapped in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.) Garnish with whipped cream and chocolate curls, if desired. Enjoy!

8 comments:

I was hoping you were going to post this when I saw it on your Sunday's menu. Looks delicious. You will keep your son coming back to his mama with all of your good cooking! That's my strategy anyway ;-)